Dead Love: Rewrite
by c-creon
Summary: Hermione and Ginny were attacked by a werewolf and were saved by a time-turner. Now, being twenty years in the past, the girls embark on a journey of love, action and betrayal. HG/RL GW/SB. No flames, please! Rated T for language. ON HOLD.
1. HELL FROM THE MOON

**DISCLAIMER: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter.**

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H E L L F R O M T H E M O O N

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HERMIONE GRANGER AND GINNY WEASLEY were currently in the Burrow at night. More specifically, in Ginny's room. Ginny was sprawled on her bed, her red, fiery ginger hair covering her whole pillow. Since the Final Battle, she had grown a lot. For example, her face was now thinner and her body was now leaner. She still had the same hazel eyes matched with her freckles.

Her best friend—Hermione—had changed as well, but not as much. She had grown sufficiently and her brown, bushy hair had been cut short until it just reached her shoulders. Her big chocolate brown eyes were half-closed, but she tried to keep them opened since Ginny was still babbling.

"…can't believe that bitch had the nerve to ask Harry out. I mean she only did, because he was the one who saved the Wizarding world from Voldemort. Harry is just too blind to see that."

Hermione sighed. "We know that Harry and Ron still have a lot to learn when it comes to girls, but we have to give them some slack—"

"'Mione, 'Mione," Ginny interrupted, clicking her tongue. "With more than four years of experience, you think they would know the intentions of a lady."

"Well, they aren't that keen in learning. Ron just had to corrupt Harry, too," Hermione replied. "With that bloody book about witches, Harry has been approaching ladies the wrong way."

"_You_ fell for it," Ginny pointed out.

Hermione flushed. "That was before I found out."

Ginny laughed. "C'mon, Hermione. That book might be biased, but some ladies fall for it. Remember the first time Harry asked someone out besides his schoolmates? That daughter of the man working in a store in diagon alley…"

"Are you positive Harry did?"

"I'm positive."

"What's her name, then?"

"Ka—Kaye—Kaye—Katie?"

Hermione snickered.

"Stop smiling. I know her name was Katie."

"Ooooo, so close. It's Elena."

"Oh, you would know. Anyway, wanna talk about my ignorant brother now?"

"Why?"

"I dunno. I can't think of anything else to talk about. And since our topic was about Harry's and Ron's bad relationships, it's unfair to leave out Ron's love life," Ginny explained.

"Touché," Hermione replied. "Isn't he dating Romilda Vane?"

"Yes! I couldn't believe that he bloody asked her out. And she said yes!"

Hermione snorted. "Honestly, that love potion mustn't have worn off since last year."

"Ron might've drunk another one."

Laughter filled the room. Hermione yawned when it stopped. She blinked a few times before sitting up.

"Hey—are you leaving already?"

"Yes, Gin. Can't you see it's late at night already?" Hermione replied as she motioned towards the window. It was clear that the sky was bathed with moonlight.

"I can't sleep," Ginny whined.

"Try to," Hermione persisted.

"Can you take me for a stroll, at least?" Ginny asked.

"And why would you want that?"

"It calms me down, usually. Most of the time I would go to the nearby forest and stay there for a while when I was a kid, accompanied by mum of course—"

"Let me guess: I'm Mrs. Weasley's substitute in this situation," Hermione said.

"Yup."

Hermione sighed. "Fine, I'll meet you outside. I'll just get my jacket." And with that, the bushy-haired girl left the room and entered her own. She filed through her closet and found her periwinkle-blue jacket. She got it out of the hanger. As she was about to put it on, something fell out of its pocket.

A time turner.

It was the exact same time-turner she and Harry used to save Sirius. She bent down and picked it up, examining it. It was in pretty good shape. Dust was covering it, but it can still be used.

"HERMIONE!" the distant voice of Ginny called.

The brunette sighed, put her jacket on and placed the time-turner inside the pocket. She ran downstairs, just in time before Ginny could shout again.

The two then wandered towards the forest.

"Where are we going, Gin?" Hermione asked. She fingered her wand which was inside her left boot.

"Somewhere mum and I used to visit," she replied.

They trudged down for a few more minutes. Hermione looked up, through the trees, and saw a clear vision of the moon. It was big, bright, and…complete.

"Full moon tonight," Hermione whispered.

Ginny stiffened and realization dawned over her. "Er—maybe we should head back. I-I forgot."

"Nonsense, Ginerva"—Ginny scowled—"there's a one in one hundred chance a werewolf is lurking in the shadows tonight."

"Anything could happen, 'Mione," Ginny hissed.

"Nonsense," she repeated. "The werewolves are in a low profile since Greyback died."

"Yes," Ginny replied, "but they weren't wiped from existence!"

"Ginny, if I recall, _you_ were the one who wanted to explore the forest. Are you saying you want to retreat at this moment?" Hermione challenged, raising her eyebrows.

Ginny deliberated, and then silently shook her head. "But keep your defenses up."

"Yours too."

The two started walking again. Finally, the two arrived in a pond. It was an ordinary wand, but the way the moonlight hit it made it look magical. The luminescent glow that reflected from the water just looked extraordinary.

Hermione looked awestruck as she took in all of the beauty. Ginny just walked ahead, removed her shoes, and placed her feet in the pond.

"Aren't you infecting it?" Hermione joked. The redhead mockingly glared at her and said, "It's quite relaxing actually. Come on, 'Mione. Mum said this relaxes the nerves."

Hermione then walked forward and removed her boots (not before placing her wand in the pocket of her pants). She placed her feet under the water and immediately, her stress seemed to fade away. The water was warm—it wasn't expected since the wind was blowing smartly.

"How did you find it?" Hermione asked her friend.

"Easy. I was a kid back then, so I ran around the forest, only to find this place. I didn't miss the chance to jump around and such. But the moment my feet made contact with the water, I just…relaxed. Mum used to go here too."

After Ginny's explanation, there was silence. In which, Hermione broke.

"We have to get going, Gin. It's late and I'm getting too sleepy," she announced as she removed her feet from the pond. She dried them off for a moment and then put on her boots. Ginny did the same.

"C'mon," she said, "let's go—"

Hermione was cut off for the two heard growling. Hermione pulled out her wand and so did Ginny. She knew where that growling came from. And all that she could think was '_Dammit, I'm wrong again_'.

Out of the blue, a big, mean, red-brown wolf revealed itself from the bushes, its nuzzle smudged with blood. Its mouth was still chewing—what it seems—a piece of human bone.

The girls wanted to vomit.

The wolf swallowed the bone as if it was no big deal. Its eyes spotted the girls and it started advancing, growling as it did so.

"Ginny," Hermione whispered, "_run_."

"What?" she replied. "I'm not leaving you."

"I'm not going to let you get killed."

"I'm not a little girl anymore—"

Suddenly, the wolf lunged. Hermione pointed her wand at it and screamed, "_Petrificus Totalus!_"

The wolf was now bound as if invisible ropes were tying its body together. Relief spread through the girls, but it didn't last long. The beast broke the spell, snarling, angry. It pounced towards its attacker.

"_Stupefey!_" cried Hermione.

It was thrown back as the red light hit it squarely on the face. Hermione urged Ginny to run forward and the two sprinted deep into the forest, blind.

Again, the wolf attacked out of nowhere.

"_Stupefey!_" Ginny bellowed, still running.

The wolf dodged, but was off course. They knew they could never outrun it when it was so determined on the hunt, so they decided to fight.

"_Expilliarmus!_" Hermione screamed.

"_Stupefey_," Ginny said.

The wolf wasn't able to avoid any, so it was thrown back. It got to its feet almost immediately. Then, it lunged towards Ginny.

"NO! _Petrificus Totalus,_" Hermione stated and the beast was bound again. She grabbed Ginny's arm and pulled her aside. It broke the spell and pounced towards its attacker.

"_Expilliarmus_," Hermione said. The wolf dodged and went after her again. She pushed Ginny out of the way as she side-stepped. "_Stupefey!_" she screamed. The wolf was thrown back again.

Hermione knew that the wolf was strong, exceptionally strong. She rummaged through her pockets, hopefully to find one of George's products to use as a diversion. Instead, she found a time turner.

Even Better.

But before she could even touch the hourglass, the wolf started to attack once more. It tackled Hermione to the ground and the time-turner flung out of her grasp. It hung at a tree branch. The hourglass was turning so fast that at a first glance, it wasn't there.

The beast now had its prey. It opened its big, bloody mouth and prepared to bite a big chunk of Hermione's body when a spell was cast, freeing the girl.

"_Stupefey!_" Ginny bellowed again. The wolf dodged and started to lunge towards Ginny, who tripped on a rock.

"_Stupefey!_" screamed the brunette just in time, but the beast targeted her again. It opened its big mouth another time. This time, its teeth sunk deep into Hermione's leg. She shrieked in pain as the wolf tried to bite the chunk off, but a spell made the wolf body-binded.

Ginny ran towards Hermione—who was still standing, but not that long—and grabbed the time-turner. Immediately, they were engulfed with a bright light and they felt the ground leave them. Ginny could feel the air rushing towards different directions.

Finally, they landed on ground, on wooden floorboards.

"WHO IN THE RUDDY HELL ARE YOU?" screamed a voice.

Ginny was the first one to stir from the impact. They were in Three Broomsticks and the voice came from the bartender.

"I-I'm sorry, sir," Ginny stuttered. "My sister and I were attacked by a werewolf and—and we didn't know what to do. So—so I apparated both of us here."

The bartender analyzed the situation with narrow eyes before finalizing. "LIES." He got out his wand, but Ginny was too fast for him. She screamed, "_Obliviate!_" His eyes turned dreamy and he collapsed behind the counter.

Ginny sighed and then turned back to Hermione, who was unconscious. Ginny examined her leg, which was badly injured. Majority of the skin has been removed that you can see the muscles in there. Ginny fought the urge to throw up on her.

She knew she couldn't risk any infection, so she rapped a piece of cloth on the wound. While she was doing so, she looked around the room. Her eyes froze at the calendar.

_August 29, 1977_

The date freaked her out a little…then a lot.

She didn't know what to do. She pointed her wand at Hermione and said, "_Enervate_."

Hermione's eyes opened; they were wet and then she started to whimper.

"Ouch," she whispered.

"'Mione, we have to take you to Madam Pomfrey."

"Wha—why her? Where are we?"

"Hermione, do you remember what we did before we arrived her?"

"The werewolf."

"Yeah, and I got your time-turner and we travelled twenty years into the past!"

"Bloody hell. We're at Hogwarts?"

"Almost. We're at Hogsmeade."

"Okay, okay. We have to speak to Dumbledore—"

"But how are we going to get inside the Hogwarts castle?"

"Have you learned nothing from the Final battle? Arianna of course," Hermione said.

Ginny nodded and stood up, preparing to leave.

"Hold on," the brunette said. "We have to glamour ourselves. We can't go looking like ourselves. And we need a back-up story before we confront Dumbledore. Do you still remember Occulumency?"

"Yeah. But it's a little weak."

"Good enough. Just don't look Dumbledore in the eye. Now, come here," Hermione said as she started to glamour Ginny's features.

Ginny's long face then turned heart-shaped. Her ginger hair turned blonde and she gained bangs. Her hair was now naturally messy. Her nose was less thin and her lips were fuller. She grew a little until she was the same height as Hermione.

Hermione then retained the shape of her face. Instead, her hair turned black and curly. It reached towards her waist and her bangs were gone. She gained freckles (similar to Ginny's) so the two looked more than related. They looked like twins despite the hair and eyes.

The two then thought of their cover story and they were good to go.

The blonde helped Hermione as she limped towards Abeforth's bar. His eyes narrowed before pulling out his wand. "Who are you two?" he hissed.

The two explained their situation and even showed Abeforth Hermione's injury. They even insisted he give them veritaserum to make sure. He hesitated, but let them anyways.

'_It's Albus' problem now_,' he thought as the two girls entered Arianna's portrait and disappeared from view.

**_,;'-';,_**

Hermione and Ginny exited the portrait and entered the room of requirement. They did not linger for they headed straight to Dumbledore's office. Hermione winced at every step she took, but she put a brave face on.

Finally, they reached the gargoyle.

"What's the password?" Ginny asked.

"I don't know, do I? Just say random names of sweets."

"Licorice Wand?"

"Lemon Drops?"

"Pumpkin Pastries?"

"Cockroach Cluster?"

"Chocolate frogs?"

"Bah—Chocolate Birds!"

The gargoyle leapt aside.

The girls finally entered the office. Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk as usual, his eyes twinkling. No such surprise was shown. "And you are?" he asked in a calm, collected voice.

"Er—professor," Ginny started. "We're—"

"I'm Elena Harrison," Hermione answered quickly, but in a tired tone. "This is my sister Katie. I am sorry for the odd circumstances, but we were desperate, sir. A werewolf attacked us and bit me and—well—our cousin used to come here and talked all about this place."

"We knew we would be safe here. So our mother told us to apparate here," Ginny finished.

Dumbledore sat still, but asked, "What made the werewolf attack you?"

"Our mother," Ginny replied. "Our mother provoked him in some way, professor."

He nodded thoughtfully. He stared silently at the two girls. They immediately felt him trying to invade their minds, but he couldn't break down their shields.

"I think it is unnecessary, professor, to look through our minds. From my sister's injury, I think we speak of the truth," Ginny explained as she motioned towards Hermione's leg, which was drenched with scarlet blood.

"Ah—yes, but may I be frank. Who is your cousin—"

"Please, sir, my sister is hurt," Ginny insisted.

"Oh, of course. I will escort you to the hospital wing for Madam Pomfrey to attend to both of you. Where is your mother?"

"We don't know sir. But hopefully, she would be coming tomorrow morning," Hermione sighed. She could feel her consciousness slipping away. Dumbledore's expression became suspicious, but disappeared when Hermione collapsed.

**_,;'-';,_**

Hermione woke up by someone trying to pour down a hot beverage down the throat.

'_Death Eaters! Death Eaters have come to sought revenge!'_ she thought. She clamped her mouth shut, not allowing the liquid to enter her mouth. She turned her head to and fro but firm hands gripped her chin.

"Ms. Harrison, please!" sighed a familiar voice. Hermione's eyes immediately opened. It was Madam Pomfrey…only younger.

"I'm sorry, ma'am," Hermione whispered before drinking the potion.

"It's alright. I should've waited for you to wake up, but it was essential for you to drink the potion now," she explained.

"Okay, ma'am," Hermione replied as her stomach grumbled.

"Hungry?"

She nodded sheepishly.

Madam Pomfrey stood up and walked out of the room to bring breakfast.

Hermione turned to Ginny, who was still sound asleep. "Ginny!" she hissed.

"What?" she groaned.

"Wake up. It's urgent."

"What's urgent?"

"Have you forgotten about the situation we're in?"

Ginny immediately sat up. "What's wrong?"

"Well, Dumbledore's suspicious of us," Hermione said as she tried to sit up, but her head just fell back on the pillow. "Our _mother_ has to appear to clear things up. And we have nowhere to go. Not to mention, we have to find our way back. We need the Hogwarts library."

"Why can't we just ask Dumbledore to help us get back?" Ginny suggested.

Hermione shook her head. "We'll be changing the timeline. No one can know. Not even Dumbledore."

"We can just obliviate him."

"You don't get it, Gin. We'll be removing a memory, not replacing one. He'll be suspicious once more and ask anyone else about what he's forgetting."

"Fine. I'll pose as the mother. You're still badly hurt and I've been practicing the charm," Ginny said.

"Alright. By the way, where's the time turner?"

"Oh! Here." Ginny rummaged through her pockets and then got out a time-turner. She handed it to Hermione and she examined it. It didn't look broken in any way, but something was wrong. The sand inside the hourglass was not moving at all. It won't even turn.

It was stuck.

Hermione suddenly hid it in her pocket when Madam Pomfrey entered with two trays of breakfast. She placed it in front of both patients and they started eating (Hermione needed some assistance, though).

After eating, Madam Pomfrey said, "Dumbledore would like to speak to you. He's outside right now. Is it okay?"

The girls looked at each other before nodding. On cue, Professor Dumbledore entered, his eyes twinkling as usual. He looked at Madam Pomfrey for a moment before she nodded and then left without another word.

When the room was all cleared, Dumbledore turned to the girls. "Ah—Ms. Harrison and…Ms. Harrison. I assume that both of you are feeling better?"

"Yes, sir," they chorused.

"Okay, has your mother arrived yet?"

"Er—well, sir," Hermione stuttered (for effect). "Our mother said to meet us at Hogsmeade. Maybe my sister could check where she is."

"Your sister couldn't possibly. I'll send someone else—"

"Professor, our mother can be defensive sometimes after situations like this. _Too defensive._ Katie should go and calm her down before she could speak with you," Hermione explained.

Dumbledore looked at the two with a calculating look. He then sighed and said, "You might as well. Are you sure, Ms. Katie, that you are fit to go to Hogsmeade?"

"Of course, sir. I was just exhausted, that's all. I can go get my mother," Ginny reassured.

"Very well. Come," Dumbledore said before turning and walking out of the room. Ginny got out of her bed before following.

"Improvise," was the last word that Ginny heard before the doors shut behind her.

**_,;'-';,_**

Carriages brought Ginny to Hogsmeade. When she arrived, she searched for a dark alley. She found a sufficient one and hid. She changed her appearance as fast as she could.

Her messy, blonde hair turned brown and sleek. It reached past her shoulders. She retained the shape and features of her face except she removed some of her freckles. She made herself taller, a lot taller. She walked out of the alley cautiously before entering one of the clothing stores.

She bought a purple shirt and jeans. The moment she got hold of it, she got out her wand and cast a memory charm on the shop owner. She exited the store and entered another dark alley. She wore her clothes on top of her previous ones and scarred and injured herself as much as she can.

When she exited the alley, she was bloody. She started limping towards the carriages and she was sent back to Hogwarts.

When she arrived, she went straight to Dumbledore's office. He was sitting behind his desk, a smile plastered on his face.

That wasn't good.

"Ah—you must be Mrs. Harrison," he greeted.

Ginny swallowed. "Yes."

Dumbledore looked around and asked, "Where is Ms. Katie?"

"She went to the bathroom. Bloody girl has the bladder of a cat," Ginny answered.

"Ah—well, then, may you please explain to me what happened, Mrs. Harrison? Your daughters have already told me, of course, but not all the details. Care to explain?"

"Sir, I met the werewolf weeks before. He claimed to know my husband before he died. My husband hushed up his work. He didn't even tell me what he did, but he always came back late at night. The werewolf I met explained to me what my husband did.

"He sided with the light, of course, and he tried to bring the werewolves to the light as well. Greyback wasn't too keen with the idea, and he was the leader. So, the others agreed with him. But my husband was persistent. He wanted the fall of Voldemort so badly for Death Eaters killed his sister.

"Greyback still wouldn't allow it, but my husband wouldn't give up. He asked one of the werewolves—Isaac Fowlers—to convince his leader that the light will triumph over the dark. He agreed, but at a price. Isaac wanted a full course meal during his full moons even if Greyback's mind wouldn't change.

"My husband was hesitant. He couldn't bear to let him eat innocent muggles, but he agreed.

"Isaac did his side of the bargain. He tried to convince Greyback, but was unsuccessful. My husband didn't fulfill his side. Enraged, Isaac swore revenge. He didn't like to be cheated on, especially a wizard, so he killed him.

"He knew that wasn't enough. After killing my husband, his next target was the rest of my family. He attacked last night. We barely came through. Finally, I told my daughters to apparate to the first place that came to their mind. They shouted the place at me before disappearing.

"I fought the wolf some more before I could escape," Ginny finished.

"How did the girls learn to apparate?"

"I taught them. Our family wasn't that rich, so we didn't have enough money for the school supplies. I home-schooled them instead."

"Mm-hmm, well, Mrs. Harrison, I think you know that unlicensed apparition is illegal," Dumbledore pointed out.

"Please, don't alert the ministry, sir. We were desperate and we had nowhere else to go," Ginny plead.

Dumbledore deliberated before nodding. "What are you planning to do now, Mrs. Harrison?"

"I plan to hunt down the werewolf. He has caused destruction in our lives, and I plan to pay him back."

"Revenge is not going to stitch back the mess that had happened."

"In my world, it will," Ginny insisted. "I will do it for my daughters. I can't risk the werewolf attacking us again."

"I can ask aurors to—"

"No," growled Ginny. "I owe him."

Dumbledore nodded before asking, "How about your daughters?"

"May they stay here for a while? I can't bring them along with me and I want them to get the proper education—"

"Of course, we will attend to all their financial needs," Dumbledore replied. Why don't you let our school nurse help you with your injuries?"

"Very well," Ginny sighed. Both stood up and Ginny followed Dumbledore to the hospital wing where Madam Pomfrey was busy with Hermione.

She sat down on the bed beside her and Madam Pomfrey attended to her wounds. Ginny was careful not to let her spot the clothes she was hiding beneath the ones she just got.

Finally, she was completely healed. She thanked Dumbledore one more time before going back to Hogsmeade. There, she changed her appearance again, back to the first one, removed her previous clothes and then went back to the carriages which brought her back to school.

Ginny entered the hospital wing and flopped down on her bed, tired.

"How was it?" Hermione asked her.

"Tiring."

"No, I mean what did you tell him?"

"Just a random story on why the werewolf attacked us. Oh, and we'll be able to attend Hogwarts for the school year," said Ginny.

"How?"

"I just broke out a sob story," Ginny answered cockily. "Now, Professor Dumbledore will be the one to pay for our expenses. Oh, and I think he's a little suspicious."

"A _little_?" Hermione said. "How about a lot? Ginny, we have to be careful around him from now on. Make it more believable."

"All right, All right, sheesh. Anyways, how are we going to go back home?"

"I'll search in the library, of course."

"Of course," Ginny sighed. No one spoke anymore. Numerous thoughts entered Ginny's mind, but she shoved all those away. Instead, she thought of pursuing her dream of being an actress…

**_,;'-';,_**

**Okay, this is the first revised chapter. Compare it to the last one and see which is better. **

**REVIEW~**


	2. GETTING COMFORTABLE

**_,;'-';,_**

2. G E T T I N G C O M F O R T A B L E

**_,;'-';,_**

THE TWO GIRLS WERE SO tired that they slept through the afternoon and woke up the next day.

Hermione woke up first. Madam Pomfrey was busy preparing the two's breakfast. When she noticed Hermione was conscious, she smiled and greeted her a 'good morning'. Hermione returned the greeting and tried to sit up. With difficulty, she was finally able to.

"Are you already hungry?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am," Hermione answered.

Madam Pomfrey got one of the trays and placed it on Hermione's lap. She could smell the wonderful aroma of the food. She couldn't handle it already, so she started digging in. It took merely ten minutes for her to finish her food. Madam Pomfrey gave her some pumpkin juice to wash it all down.

The nurse then got the tray of food and started to walk away. But before she did, she turned to Hermione and said, "Professor Dumbledore would like to speak with you. Wake up your sister, let her eat breakfast and go to Dumbledore's office." And with that, she exited the room.

Hermione turned to Ginny, who was under the blanket. She leaned towards her and whispered, "Gin."

No answer.

"Ginny," she whispered louder.

Not even a gesture.

"Ginny, get up your fat arse right now!" hissed Hermione.

Still no reaction.

Hermione took her pillow and threw it hard on Ginny's head.

"Fuck!" she shouted.

Ginny shot up and looked at Hermione. Her hair was disheveled and her eyes were dreamy. However, they turned sharp when she focused on the girl beside her. "What the hell was that for?"

"You wouldn't wake up," Hermione sniffed rather snootily.

"Don't give me that shit," Ginny snapped.

Hermione shrugged then said, "Eat your breakfast. Dumbledore wants to see us."

Ginny grabbed the tray of food and placed it on her lap. She dug in before asking, "Why does he want us?"

"I don't know. Probably about our school supplies and such," Hermione guessed. "If it's the Ministry, then they would just bustle through those doors instead of us talk to them in Dumbledore's office."

Ginny nodded, not really paying attention as she ate her breakfast. Hermione sighed and decided to try walking. She threw her legs off the bed and her feet landed on the floor. She carefully stood up and winced as she did so. Finally, she was able to stand up without any support.

She tried walking from one side of the bed to another. Her legs were a bit stiff and her left leg was still sore. Even though, her current condition was better than yesterday. She sat back down at the edge of the bed and waited while Ginny gobbled up her breakfast.

"Ar you choor we choo'n't chell chum'edow?" said Ginny, her mouth full of food.

"I don't know what in Merlin's beard you just said," Hermione muttered.

Ginny swallowed her food before saying, "Are you sure we shouldn't tell Dumbledore?"

"About what?"

"About us…being in the future…."

"Yes."

"Yes, we should tell him or yes, you're sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Why not?"

"I already explained it to you Ginny. Either way, telling anyone will be changing the timeline. The best we can do is find our way back through the library," Hermione retorted.

Ginny snorted.

"What?" Hermione asked.

"Nothing. It's just… 'When in doubt, go to the library!'"

"Ha-ha."

"But, really, what if we can't?"

"Then that's the time we tell Dumbledore. But only if we can't find anything," Hermione said.

Ginny drank her pumpkin juice then got out of bed. "Let's go to Professor Dumbledore."

The two walked out of the hospital wing and straight to Dumbledore's office. They muttered the password and the gargoyle leapt aside, allowing them entrance. When they entered, Dumbledore wasn't in his usual spot behind his desk. Instead, he was standing near the fireplace.

"Good morning, girls. Sleep well?" he asked.

"Yes, sir," they murmured in unison.

"Now, your mother asked me to let you study here at Hogwarts, and I allowed. For your school supplies, you will be visiting Diagon Alley. You will flooing there. Both of you know how to floo, I assume?"

Ginny nodded, but Hermione stood still. She had only experienced floo travel once, and she had gotten it wrong.

"Ms. Elena?"

"Ah—er—I—don't go out much. I usually stay in the house and read a book," she murmured sheepishly.

"It's alright, He-elina," Ginny stuttered. "Just don't move around much, like the first time you did."

"Here's the list of books and requirements you need," Dumbledore said, handing them a piece of parchment. Hermione held out her hand and Dumbledore placed the list on her palm. Hermione shoved the parchment inside her pants. "And here's the money you need," he said, giving them a heavy sack filled with galleons.

"Professor, you needn't give us this much," Hermione said.

Dumbledore smiled. "It's all right girls. I told your mother that I will supply all your needs and supply I will."

Ginny then stepped forward, grabbed a pinch of floo powder from Dumbledore and stepped into the fireplace.

"DIAGON ALLEY," she said clearly before throwing the floo powder out of her grasp. She was engulfed with green flames and soon disappeared.

"Your turn, Ms. Elena," said Dumbledore, offering her some floo powder. Hermione hesitated before getting a pinch of powder. She entered the fireplace and took a deep breath and held it in as she said, "DIAGON ALLEY." She dropped the powder and she was suddenly engulfed with flames. The last thing she saw before disappearing was Dumbledore's calculating gaze.

**_,;'-';,_**

Hermione landed in a fireplace in the familiar Diagon Alley. Ginny was already there, waiting for her.

"What does the list say?" she asked the moment Hermione stepped out.

She grabbed the list from her pocket and examined it. She read aloud:

_**Dear Ms. Harrisons,**_

_**You cannot start a school year without your school supplies! **_

_**Here are the things you need. Each.**_

_**Uniform:**_

_**1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)**_

_**2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear**_

_**3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)**_

_**4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)**_

_**Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags**_

_**Books:**_

_**All students should have a copy of each of the following:**_

_**The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 7) by Miranda Goshawk**_

_**A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot**_

_**Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling**_

_**A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch**_

_**One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore**_

_**Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger**_

_**Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander**_

_**The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble**_

_**Other Equipment:**_

_**1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)**_

_**1 set of glass or crystal phials**_

_**1 telescope set**_

_**1 brass scales**_

_**YOU MAY BUY YOUR OWN BROOMSTICKS.**_

_**Good Day,**_

_**Albus Dumbledore**_

_**Headmaster**_

"Well, it seems we can get our own brooms," Ginny mused before grinning. "I'm definitely going to try out."

Hermione rolled her eyes before going to the bookstore first. She was the only one who shopped for the school materials for her and Ginny for she was busy looking at a new broomstick.

"'Mione, how much do we have left?" Ginny asked, not breaking her gaze from the window of the store. Hermione just arrived, carrying numerous books.

"Ginny, we don't have time to buy you a—"

Ginny got the sack of leftover galleons and counted. With a satisfied smile, she entered the store and bought the broom. Hermione groaned as she watched through the window. Ginny got the newest broom out: _Comet two-sixty_.

"Ginny," repeated Hermione. "Can you at least bring some of your school supplies?"

"Fine," she groaned as she got her books. Finally, the two went back to the fireplace and floo'd back to Hogwarts.

"Had a nice shopping trip, girls?" asked Dumbledore the moment they stepped out.

"Yes sir. Thank you for the money. We guarantee you, we won't throw our education away!" said Hermione enthusiastically.

"Well, it seems that we have a book-lover here."

"Yes, professor. Elena was always eager to learn more from our mother. Anyway, who's the Quidditch captain here? I was always a Quidditch fan!"

"James Potter. He's also Head boy."

"Wow—two positions."

"Yes. I believe that he will do fine. You may stay in the Hospital Wing until you will be sorted in your houses."

"Sorted?" asked the sisters falsely.

"As you know, there four particularly great wizards that found this school: Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff, Godric Gryffindor, and Salazar Slytherin. A sorting hat will be put on your heads, and he will sort you in your houses."

The girls nodded slowly.

"Okay, the school term starts on September 1. You have to stay here until then. I will explain to the students."

The girls started to walk away, but Dumbledore stopped them.

"Before you leave, Ms. Elena, what would you like to do now?"

"About what?"

"Your—monthly problem."

"Oh! Um—"

"Well, I have two options for you. In the school grounds, there is a tree called the 'Whomping Willow'. It guards a shack meant for a student here. That particular student also happens to be a werewolf—and a seventh year. You may stay there, or you can be chained up in one of the dungeons. You're choice."

Hermione thought then she said, "I _should_ stay in the shack. If I stay in the dungeons, I'll be too close to the students."

Dumbledore smiled and his expression softened.

"Who is the student?" asked Hermione.

"Remus Lupin," he replied simply. "Now, off you trot."

The two trudged out of the office and into the hospital wing. They rested on their usual beds.

"What should we do know?" Ginny asked.

"I should start searching in the library."

Ginny groaned. "I want to look around a bit."

"You know Hogwarts already," Hermione snapped.

"Well, I don't want to spend my free time in a library."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing! I have nothing against your lifestyle," Ginny joked.

"_Lifestyle_?"

"Bye, 'Mione," Ginny said suddenly before getting out of bed and exiting the room.

Hermione huffed in frustration but got out of bed as well. She walked down the corridors before finally arriving at the library. Madam Pince looked at her skeptically before snapping, "And you are?"

"New student. Dumbledore's guest. Ask him if you want," Hermione said simply.

Madam Pince scowled but allowed her entrance.

Hermione walked past the book shelves, hopeful to find a book about time-travel. Unfortunately, none of the books did so. But she knew it was just a quick search. She decided to look at the restricted section. However, before she could enter, Madam Pince said, "No going in the restricted section."

Hermione mumbled an apology before exiting the library.

She saw Ginny lying on her bed when she arrived at the hospital wing. She lied down as well.

"Did you find anything?"

"No. But it was a quick search. It might take months so I can thoroughly search the library. Let alone the restricted section."

"We'll find a way," said Ginny.

"Oh really? And how is that?"

"We have to befriend the Marauders."

"Wha?—Why?"

"We need their expertise in these things. Didn't you listen to Sirius' stories? They managed to get away with almost everything. We need that to sneak past stuff!"

"Okay. But we shouldn't get attached. Getting to close with them might change the future. We shouldn't slip up anything as well."

"How 'bout you being a werewolf?"

"What about it?"

"Are you going to tell Remus?"

"No. I'll let him find it out. The less they know the better."

"Yeah. Yeah—you're right."

"'Course I am. When have I not been?"

"I could think of several things you got wrong."

"Really? Name—wait a minute. How did we get to this subject?"

Ginny rolled her eyes and lied down.

"I miss Ron and Harry and mum and dad and Luna and Neville and Bill and Charlie and Percy and George and—"

"Yes, we know a _lot_ of people, Gin. You don't need to mention each one of them in the list of the people you missed."

"How 'bout you? Don't you miss them?"

"Well OF COURSE I DO! Don't ever think that I'll ignore them. They're like my family, too, Ginny!"

"Okay, okay. Don't need to get pushy. Just—asking."

"Don't even think about that, Ginny."

"All right! Didn't I just tell you that?"

Hermione sighed. "Sorry."

"It's fine."

They stared into space for a moment. Then Ginny asked, "When's the full moon?"

"Three and a half weeks from now, I think."

"Are you scared?"

"Very."

"It's fine, Hermione. Remus will help you."

"If he finds out."

"Geez, it's not like your revealing the future. Remus will help you through this. I think he's the only one that can."

"Dumbledore can help, period."

"You like to keep stuff to yourself. Don't you, 'Mione?"

"I don't want people to know more than necessary."

"That information does not cross the line, Hermione. It's in the _okay zone_."

Hermione snorted and turned to her side. She wondered whether or not to tell Remus about her. But she decided not to, not yet…


	3. MEETING THE MARAUDERS

**_,;'-';,_**

3. M E E T I N G T H E M A R A U D E R S

**_,;'-';,_**

"C'mon, Paddy," James said to Sirius. "Let's find Moony and Wormtail." The two pushed through the crowd at King's Cross, trying to find the remainder of their friends. They had already put their bags inside the train in one of the compartments. Now, they were craning their necks.

"He-hey!" Sirius said. "I think I see Moony." He pointed to the sandy-haired boy in the crowd, bringing his luggage towards the train. "MOONY!" they cried together. The werewolf looked around, confused, and then he spotter his two friends, waving their arms high like petty children. He rolled his eyes and stayed on his spot while the two ran towards him.

"How's it going, Moony?" James asked.

"Fine," sighed Remus. "Just a little tired."

"Oh yeah, last week was the—yeah," Sirius said. Remus sent him a 'shut up' glare. He then started to load his things onto the train.

"Here," said James, "I'll help you. Paddy and I already found a compartment. Have you seen Peter?"

"No," Remus answered. "He wasn't even in the train station before I went here. He's probably late again."

James snorted and the two went inside the train, leaving Sirius to look for Peter. He checked the clock: _11:55 am_. Peter was definitely late again. People were already boarding the train, but he didn't leave his spot. He scanned the station and saw no Peter. He sighed and started tapping on his foot.

"What are you doing, Black?" snapped a voice. Sirius looked to his left, seeing none other than Lily Evan's annoyed face.

"Waiting for Peter. What else?" he replied.

Lily huffed and started to board the train, but Sirius asked, "Are you Head Girl?"

"Of course," she answered proudly. "What's it to you?"

"Oh, nothing." Sirius held back a smile. Lily's eyes narrowed but entered the train.

'_James is going to be bouncing on his seat,_' he thought. '_He's going to be patrolling Hogwarts with Lily Evans._'

The train's engine purred and smoke emitted. The King's Cross Station was empty except for last-minute students, who weren't Peter. Sirius glanced at the clock again.

_11:59 am._

'_Peter's screwed,_' he thought before boarding the train. Suddenly, someone came running towards him, crying, "Wait!" Peter threw his bags inside and jumped in before the train started to move. Sirius was buried under Peter's luggage.

"Phew," Peter sighed. "Oh! Sorry, Sirius." He got his luggage, freeing Sirius.

"Yeah," Sirius huffed. "Why're you late again?"

"Sorry," repeated Peter sheepishly. "I forgot one of my bags at home and we were already halfway there, but we went back for it."

Sirius shook his head in disbelief. "Well, then, let's head to our compartment."

The two walked down the hall and into the cubicle where Remus was found reading a book.

Typical.

Sirius opened the compartment door and sat down opposite to the werewolf. Peter followed, putting out his bags, and he sat beside Remus. "Where's James?"

"I don't know," Remus murmured. "He just walked away without an explanation."

"He went to the Head's compartment," Sirius pointed out.

"WHAT?"

"Yeah, he was named Head Boy last summer."

"Is Dumbledore nuts?" Remus gasped.

"He's gone completely bonkers!" Peter exclaimed.

"Yeah, I agree," Sirius replied. "And best of all, Lily's Head Girl."

"Is Dumbledore playing matchmaker or something?" asked Peter.

"I hope not. Lily would eat James alive," Remus laughed. "I wonder what'll be the reaction of Lily when she finds out."

"We'll find out as soon as James comes back," Sirius said sinisterly.

**_,;'-';,_**

Lily entered the compartment where he friend—Alice Prewett—was. She smiled at her when she entered. Before Lily could say a word, Alice said, "Let me guess. Head Girl?"

"Yes," squealed Lily. "And I have to go to the Head's Compartment."

"Oh, okay. So, do you know who's head boy?"

Lily shook her head. "But I'm going to find out soon enough."

"Who do you think it is?"

"I think it's one of the boys in Ravenclaw. Who was he? Logan?"

"Yeah. He never breaks the rules and he got straight O's in the O.W.L.s," replied Alice. "Well, come back here after, alright?"

"Of course, Alice," laughed Lily before skipping towards the Head Compartment. She was exuberant because it just goes to show that Dumbledore trusts her very much with that high position. She entered the cubicle, expecting Logan from Ravenclaw. Instead, she got—

"Potter?" she gasped.

James was inside, sitting down, waiting for someone. He looked up at Lily. His eyes widened, and then he smirked. "Well, well, well, Head Girl, huh?"

"You—Boy—Potter—Argh! What are you doing here, Potter?" she spat at him, still standing at the door.

"Isn't it obvious? This is the head's compartment, isn't it?"

"Yes, but—How can Dumbledore name you Head Boy?"

James shrugged. Lily continued fuming and refused to sit down.

"Are you going to stay there forever?" he sighed.

"I can't believe it," Lily muttered, ignoring his question.

"Well, believe it, sister," James joked. Lily sent him a glare but she looked amuse at his comment. He shrugged and pointed to his badge. "Now, can we just start planning? I don't really care if you storm off now because we'll spending most of the time this year together," he added cockily.

Lily huffed but sat down. "Just go patrolling these corridors for half an hour," she ordered. "Help the first years, and guard the halls every now and again. When you see any rough housing, stop it at once. And _no pranks_." She stood up and started towards the door.

She stopped then turned around, a stern expression on her face. "Oh, and keep away from me as possible, Potter." She turned again and stalked away. James smirked and left the compartment as well.

He patrolled the halls as Lily ordered. The only trouble he came across were a bunch of fourth years, bullying a first year. He stopped them and comforted the little one before moving on. Finally, after half an hour of watching the halls, he headed back to his compartment.

"Ah—here's our Head Boy!" Sirius said. "So, how was Lily?"

"How did you know she was Head Girl?" James asked him as he sat down.

"While I was waiting for Peter, she came across. I asked her and she confirmed."

"What was her reaction when she found out the conceited toerag named Potter is Head Boy?" asked Remus suddenly.

"She was…surprised, obviously."

"You mean she freaked out," he said.

"Pretty much."

"You're one lucky bloke," Sirius said. "And this might be the chance you can get her!"

"How?"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Aren't the Heads patrolling the corridors every other week? That's the time you two will be alone and you won't get in trouble."

James pondered for a moment, and then smiled in realization. "You're right. I'll be alone with her and there's nothing she can do."

"Lucky bloke," Sirius repeated. "Quidditch Captain _and_ Head Boy. Dumbledore _must_ be crazy."

"Hey!" James protested. "I'm responsible."

Remus snorted. "You and Sirius are the most irresponsible people in the school."

"Peter is too," Sirius retorted.

"What?"

Sirius just shook his head. "So, what pranks will the Marauders do this year?" he asked in expectation.

"It should be good," James said. "As in _really_ good. This is the last year we'll be here. We should mark our names in Hogwarts History! How about one prank every other day?"

"No," Remus snapped.

"Aww, c'mon, Moony. Why are _you_ always the one ruining our fun?" Sirius pouted.

"Because every time we get caught, _I_ am the one explaining and being frowned upon by the teachers."

"Hey! We help in dodging detention, too," James contradicted.

Remus snorted. "Yeah. Whatever."

"Fine. How about one every week?"

"No," Remus answered.

"Moony!"

"I'm sorry, but the teachers expect me to tame you this year."

"You can never tame us, Moony. We're the Marauders. And that means, you're included as well," Sirius explained. "One every week."

Remus sighed. "Fine, but I won't guarantee I'll join you every week."

"No problem," Peter said. "James and Sirius know enough, right?"

"Of course, Pete," James replied with a grin. "Remus isn't the only smart one in the Marauders."

Remus scoffed but said nothing.

Suddenly, the woman pushing the cart of sweets passed by and asked, "Anything from the trolley, dearies?"

Sirius and Remus were the first ones who bought, followed by Peter then James. Soon enough, their laps and seats were filled with candy and candy wrappers. Remus practically consumed the chocolates while Sirius ate everything else.

"You two eat too much," Peter muttered.

"Sirius does," James agreed, "but Moony here's addicted to chocolates."

"Am not!"

"Oh, yeah? I recall you are the only one who carries around a honeyduke's chocolate bar in his pocket," James said. "End of discussion."

Remus rolled his eyes but continued eating.

Abruptly, the four heard a commotion outside: screaming, thuds, etc.

"What's happening?" Peter asked.

"I dunno," Sirius murmured. He stood up and peeked outside of the door. He closed again and shrugged. "I think some people are playing around. Nothing serious."

The door of the compartment slid open, revealing a pissed Lily Evans. "I told you to patrol the corridors!"

"I did!" James said in worry, "like an hour ago."

Lily gritted her teeth, controlling her anger. "Did you just ignore the noise in the corridor?" she whispered deadly.

James gulped. "Er—I didn't hear it," he lied.

"JAMES POTTER, YOU ARE SUCH A SHITTY LIAR!" Lily screamed.

Everyone in the compartment flinched at the statement.

"Now," Lily whispered, jabbing a finger at James, "you will be patrolling the corridors again—the _whole_ train—and check _all_ the compartments whether you like it or not. I'll be with Alice." And with a last huff, she turned and disappeared from view.

James groaned as Sirius patted his back. "Cheer up, Prongs. Just run through them."

James snorted at him and then stood up and exited the compartment.

"Poor Prongs." Sirius pouted.

Peter snorted. "Really? Just an hour ago you were praising him, saying he was a lucky guy."

Sirius shrugged. "Opinions change," he answered simply.

After discussing three months' worth of pranks, James finally arrived, tired.

"How was patrol, Prongs?" Sirius asked casually.

"What do you think?" James gasped.

Sirius grinned but said nothing.

"You enjoy my pain."

"No, I don't," Sirius gasped mockingly. "I would never feel that way for my best friend. Sorry, Moony, Wormy."

"Yeah," Peter mumbled, but Remus continued reading, not catching on with the conversation.

James flopped down on the chair and sighed. "Head Boy is hard work."

Remus snorted. "You think? Being with Lily Evans will just make it worse."

"How so?"

"Do you think you can last a night with her threatening you?"

James sighed.

They changed to their robes before they arrived at Hogwarts. They grabbed their luggage and exited the train. The four found a carriage, being pulled by thin air.

"I always wondered how these carriages are being carried," Peter whispered.

Sirius sniffed. "Obviously it's charmed."

"No, it's not," Remus mumbled his head still on his book.

"What are you talking about then?" Sirius asked. "Who's carrying the carriages?"

"Threstrals," he answered simply. "You should know this. You took 'Care for Magical Creatures', didn't you?"

Sirius sniffed again. "It's like I paid attention. So these threstrals, they're invisible?"

"To some."

"What are you talking about? The rest has special powers or something?"

"No," Remus answered, still reading his book. "Those who have seen death can see them."

The rest of the trip was silent.

They arrived at the castle doors at last. They entered the Great Hall, taking their seats. James sat down beside Lily, leaving her to scowl. The other three sat opposite to him. As they looked at the head table, they saw the teachers (as usual), but there were also two new students—girls—about their age. They looked like twins aside from their hair and eyes.

Dumbledore was at his spot at the table, eyes twinkling **(A/N: LOL)**. Finally, the first years arrived at the hall in awe. Their heads were looking everywhere that they looked like owls.

They stopped in front of the stool where the sorting hat rested. McGonagall was standing beside it, a piece of parchment in her hand. She held no expression on her face as Dumbledore stood up.

"Hello, once again. I know you all noticed these two girls"—he motioned towards the twins—"to my right. They are transferring to Hogwarts. A situation in the family had stopped their homeschooling, so I have offered their mother the education at Hogwarts while she does her…business. Now, let them be sorted!"

Before they did, the hat burst into song as always:

_Before even I was completed,_

_Before Hogwarts was even made_

_Four witches and wizards decided_

_To attend to wizard's aid._

_They shared a common goal_

_And that was to teach the rest_

_All about values and magic_

_So that they could be at their best._

_Then they started planning_

_The creation of the best school in the world_

_After a few tweaks and some magic_

_People untrained started to learn._

_Now each of these four founders_

_Formed their own house, for each_

_Did value different virtues_

_In the ones they had to teach._

_Those who were taken by Gryffindor_

_Were brave and spirited at heart_

_These are the qualities_

_That sets them apart._

_Ravenclaw took those who require_

_A curious and intelligent mind_

_From their work and studies_

_They were never left behind._

_Wizards who are put under Slytherin_

_Have been clever and cunning_

_They strive for the best_

_And always go for the win._

_Lastly, Hufflepuff took those_

_Who are loyal and meticulous_

_She cannot leave behind the discoverers_

_She would refuse to leave the others._

_Years has passed, everything was fine_

_The four already decided_

_But their individualities and yearnings_

_Left the group divided._

_Years were spent together_

_But tamed not were their desires_

_Because of their wishes_

_Their friendship turned into a disaster._

_Fear and power fed them each_

_And they tried to restrain it_

_But they were overcame_

_Their hearts were then tainted._

_Not long after, the four_

_Decided it was best_

_To choose those they wanted_

_To pick from all the rest._

_Slytherin took whose blood was pure_

_And only they did he instruct_

_Gryffindor also chose his_

_Only those who are audacious at heart._

_Ravenclaw also got her own_

_She taught those who are witty_

_Only Hufflepuff skilled the others_

_Oh, what a pity._

_But Slytherin hadn't gotten enough_

_He wanted only pure-blooded to pass_

_The grounds and gates of Hogwarts_

_And they knew happiness was too good to last._

_The three refused to do it_

_They ignored Slytherin's plans_

_So he exited the Hogwarts gates_

_Without even a backward glance._

_From then on_

_The founders were narrowed to three_

_Even if Slytherin was gone_

_There was no harmony._

_I, the Sorting Hat,_

_Has told you all tonight_

_To not disband for we are one big house_

_And we will go, standup and fight._

_Even then I shall do my job_

_To sort you from your qualities_

_But be warned and be careful_

_With your hate and prejudice._

_I take no sides from the houses_

_So where you go is your choice_

_Now let the sorting begin_

_Put me on and rejoice._

The blonde was up first. She had a pale but rather rosy complexion matched with freckles. She also had hazel-shaped eyes, similar to James. She walked forward and sat on the stool. The hat barely touched her head when the hat bellowed, "GRYFFINDOR!"

The Marauders as well as the other Gryffindors burst into applause.

The hat was removed from her head and she hopped of the stool, a smile on her face. She skipped towards the Gryffindor table and sat down beside James.

Her twin then hesitantly sat down on the stool. She had jet-black, curly hair that was sleek and shiny. Her freckles resembled her sister's. Her eyes were more round, unlike her sister's which was sharp like an eagle's, but her eye color was chocolate brown.

The hat was placed on her head and her sorting was much longer than her sister's. Finally, the hat cried, "Gryffindor." The table clapped as the hat was taken off her head and then she headed towards the Gryffindors. She sat down beside her sister as the first years were beginning to be sorted.

McGonagall stood up and stepped up. She took out a long scroll and bellowed, "Andreas, Gary!"

A small blonde boy stepped up and the sorting hat was put on his head. "_Slytherin!_" bellowed the hat.

"So," said James. "What happened to your family?"

"_James!_" hissed Lily. "_Dumbledore said to treat them nicely!_"

"I am!" said James.

"Don't just butt in on anyone's business. They don't even know your name."

"We know who he is," interrupted Katie. "He's James Potter, right?"

James and Lily looked surprised, as well as Sirius, Peter and Remus, not so much the bookworm for he just started reading again. Sirius laughed as he gave James a look that only boys seemed to understand.

"How did you know?" asked James after exchanging a look with his friend.

"Dumbledore told us who the head boy and girl were. Lily Evans was the redhead from Gryffindor and James Potter was the arrogant toerag who was full of himself," said Katie. "Also from Gryffindor."

Lily looked superior while James looked offended.

"Did Dumbledore really tell you that?"

"Nope, he said something different. That was my description," said Katie, grinning.

Sirius laughed. He had ravening blue eyes and dark brown hair that was perfectly tended to that fell on his eyes in a casual way. He had a perfect set of teeth while he laughed. He had a pale twinge to his skin. Every girl in Gryffindor and a few from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff eyed him with interest.

"Bad luck, prongs. You're beginning to be too easy to read!" he said.

"Prongs?" Katie asked falsely.

"Nicknames," said Peter shyly.

"Yeah, nothing special," Sirius said quickly.

Elena and Katie focused more on the three boys as he said this. The one who spoke had silky black hair that fell over his blue-eyes. His face was a little pale and he was a bit thin, like his mother had cut off his food supply. Nonetheless, he seemed to have a permanent smirk on his face.

The boy next to him was rather short and plump. He had almost blonde hair that was flat on his head. Despite his fat face, he had a rather thin and long nose. He had brown eyes and a blush on his cheeks as he tried to hold in his laughter.

The last boy had sandy-colored hair. His hair was short but a little messy. It seemed natural, but it looks like he tries to groom it. He had, what looked like, amber eyes. He had a kind-looking face. But he had some very noticeable scars. Three vicious lines cut across his face. In his hands was a book, a rather thick one. He was very well-groomed.

"Oh, and these are my followers," James joked.

"Shut up, prongs. Remus, Peter and I do _not_ follow you," said Sirius. "Well maybe Peter, but still!"

The fat boy blushed.

"Anyway, I'm Sirius. Sirius Black," said Sirius.

"I'm Peter Pettigrew," whispered Wormtail.

"I'm Remus Lupin," said Moony.

"Hello," chorused the girls.

"So, since it's your first time at Hogwarts, want a little tour?" said Sirius with a grin.

"Uh—sure," said Katie and Elena awkwardly. It was weird that their friend's godfather was hitting on them.

"We could go tonight if you like—"

"No, Sirius!" interrupted Lily. "I will not allow you to stir them in your direction!"

"What direction?" asked James.

"_You're_ direction. You're always getting into trouble—"

"We won't change who we are," said James.

"Well, you should. You're _head boy_—"

"So? It doesn't mean I have to change because of that—"

"You should deflate your head a little. You should stop being an effing _arsehole_ and start being a role model for the younger students!—"

"Does this happen a lot?" murmured Katie to Sirius.

"Yeah. Don't worry, you'll get used to it," he replied.

Finally, the last student was sorted. Dumbledore stood up and said, "I have the usual announcements to make. No using magic in the corridors—"

Dumbledore looked towards the Marauders.

"—No breaking the curfew—"

Dumbledore looked towards the Marauders.

"—No bullying other students—"

Dumbledore looked towards the Marauders.

"—And no going to the Forbidden Forest."

Dumbledore looked at the Marauders for the last time then said, "Now, _we feast_!"

And with the clap of Dumbledore's hands, food appeared on the table. Everyone laughed and talked to each other. Elena looked at the Marauders.

Sirius was eating like his mother has starved him. His food was three times bigger than the food on the others' plate. But even if his mouth was stuffed, he looked as handsome as ever and the girls admired him as always.

Peter was no different. But his food plate was half of Sirius'. He grabbed everything within his reach and put them directly on his mouth.

James was eating slowly. Glancing now and again towards Lily, who completely ignored him. James attempted many times to talk to Lily, but she would always say something with an annoyed face and turn away from him.

Remus was eating slowly, his eyes still plastered on the book her was reading. His eyes darted from left to right so fast that you wouldn't think he was reading for real.

"Do you ever stop reading?" asked Elena.

"Mooee?" asked Sirius. "Nawww."

"Shut up, Padfoot."

"I agree, Sirius," said Elena. "You don't stop reading even if you eat?"

"Er—" Remus looked up and at the girl, and his eyes froze. He could feel something different about her. Her scent was familiar, but not as a person, but as a species. Elena looked uncomfortable under his gaze.

"Something wrong?"

"Er—nothing." Remus continued reading while eating.

Elena then grabbed the book from his grasp.

"HEY!"

"Hasn't your mother told you not to do two things at once? Now, eat."

"Yes, mum," Remus muffled as he took another bite.

Elena looked at the book. It was the book '_Hogwarts: A History_'. She raised her eyebrows as she looked at Remus. "'Hogwarts: A History'?" asked Elena.

"It's my favorite book," mumbled Remus.

"Yuf re' tha' a miyon timesh!" said Sirius through his mouth full of food. He sprayed water all over the place, along with Katie. She smacked him.

"I can't blame him, Sirius," said Elena before Remus can argue. "It's a very intriguing book."

"You like reading?" asked Remus.

"Are you kidding?" interrupted Katie. "She loves books more than her whole life! She'd rather read a book about magic than doing it itself."

"That's not true! You're over-exaggerating!"

"Wow, Remus—we found your soul mate!" Sirius joked. Remus blushed and whispered, "Shut up, padfoot!" This was meant for Sirius only, but Elena heard it with her wolf senses.

"What? You both like books! I thought about you and Lily, but Prongs obviously likes her so—"

"Books! That's the only thing we have in common. That's hardly worthy for being a soul mate!" said Remus.

_That's not the only thing we have in common, Remus,_ thought Elena as she gazed at the moon.

**New and improved Sorting Hat song! Although, I had one or two stanzas from the original songs. (I ran out of rhymes, okay?) **

**Anyway, I decided not to delete my previous story. (But I'm still rewriting it!)**

**REVIEW~**


	4. BOOKWORM BONDING

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4. BOOKWORM BONDING

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ELENA AND KATIE WOKE UP, their bodies shaking. Since it was still early in the morning, their brain processed what happened slowly. Katie slapped the offender away, resulting to someone shrieking, "HEY!"

"Take that, Death Eater scum," she mumbled before turning under her blanket. The offender huffed and then pulled the sheets away.

"BLOODY HELL!" they chorused as their bodies exposed.

"Lily? What the hell, woman?" Katie cried.

"Honestly, you two, get dressed. Our classes are starting, don't you remember?" Lily said, already wearing her Hogwarts robes.

"Well, that's no excuse to forcible pull away our blankets," retorted Elena. "I'm only wearing underwear."

"Be thankful you're in an all-girl bedroom," hissed Lily. "Now, get up!"

The two groaned as they threw their legs off the bed.

"How can you stand waking up when the son is still not up? You practically slept late last night, studying," Katie explained.

"I'm always excited during the first day of school. And soon enough, you'll get used to waking up this early. Now, hurry up. Classes start, as I said. You'll just love them, along with the teachers," Lily squealed.

"Elena would. Not much for me," said Katie before getting up. "When're Quidditch try-outs?"

Lily looked surprised. "You play Quidditch?"

"Well, yeah. What's wrong?"

"Well, Gryffindor has been an all boy team for a few years now. Girls would rather drool on the players than play with them."

"That's sexist. Anyways, don't worry. I'm not really finding a relationship right now," said Katie, grinning.

"Okay. What position do you usually play?" asked Lily.

"Um—the best position for me would be chaser. But I'm also good as a seeker. Except it takes me a few minutes to find the snitch."

"That's better than _our_ seeker. His name's Gregory Oden. It'll take him _forever_ to get the snitch. Good thing the chasers are good. Even if the opposing team gets the snitch, we always win."

"Why don't they kick that guy out?"

"They don't really need him. As I told you, we always win, even without the snitch."

"But, it would be better if we _did_ get the snitch," muttered Katie.

Lily shrugged. "I don't really care about Quidditch means." She got her bag. "Ready?"

"Yeah," said the girls in unison.

"Come on…what are your classes today?" asked Lily.

"I've got," said Katie, "Potions, History of Magic, Muggle Studies, Transfiguration, Charms, Transfiguration and Defence Against the Dark Arts."

"I've got all of those except Muggle Studies. I've got Arithmacy instead," said Lily. "How 'bout you, Elena?"

"Same with you," replied Elena.

"Okay, I've heard Potter, Black and Pettigrew have the same schedule with Katie. And You, Remus and I have the same schedule. Sorry, Katie."

"It's fine. I can spend more time—paying them back," said Katie with an evil grin. Lily looked astonished before exiting the common room. The Marauders were there.

"Lilykins!" said James.

"Stop calling me names, POTTER!"

"Speaking of names, can't you call me by my first name? There are a lot of Potters in the world."

"There are a lot of James's in the world as well. I chose to call you POTTER."

The two started bickering again. Then Sirius went to Katie's side. "What are your classes, beautiful?"

"_Unfortunately,_ the same with you," whispered Katie.

Sirius grinned and slipped his arm around her shoulders. She shrugged it off. Then, she turned to James.

"When are Quidditch try-outs?"

The boys stopped short. "You play Quidditch?" They asked in unison.

"Yeah."

"Okay, then. Quidditch try-outs start next week. What position are you going to try out for?" James asked.

"Chaser."

James snorted. "Good luck. Richard, Fernando and I are the top chasers in the school." Then, he sighed. "But the student I do want to replace is our seeker. He ultimately sucks. As in big time."

"Hm," Katie said, pondering. Then, she said. "Never mind. I'll just try-out for seeker."

"What? Why?"

"Well, you said your seeker sucks. I might as well replace him if I get the chance."

"That's settled, then," Sirius said.

"So," Katie replied, "Gryffindor is an all boy Quidditch team?"

"Yeah. The girls aren't that sporty."

"Hey! I'm offended. Girls can kick the boys' _arses_ not only in academic subjects, but also in Quidditch."

"Okay, then. Try-outs start next week, like James said," said Sirius. He grinned as he threw his arm around her shoulder. Again, she shrugged it off.

Elena watched as Harry's godfather flirted with her sister. It looked weird from afar. But, they shouldn't get too attached. Then, Elena had an idea. She could ask one of the bookworms if she could search in the restricted section of the library. She knew Lily would never let her do that, so she tried Remus. She ran towards him and grabbed his arm.

"What?"

"Can you tell me where the Library is later?" she asked.

"Um—sure. Why? We usually don't get homework on the first day," he whispered.

"Well—I need to search this book. My cousin had a time-turner. A device that enables you to go back in time, j-just a few hours. Um—I just want to search more on the subject. He kept bugging me about some questions that I can't answer…probably going to meddle around with his. I need to find a book about it so he would shut up."

Remus looked at her. He nodded.

"Thanks," she said as she smiled. Remus smiled as well. Then Sirius cleared his throat. He had been looking at the two for a while. They had been hand in hand. They flinched away from each other.

Finally, they reached their classes. Only Elena saw Sirius' expression which read, 'I told you so'.

"Good morning class. I'm Professor Slughorn, the potions teacher. Now, we will be learning how to make 'Draught of the Living Death'. Turn to page two hundred and ninety six of your potion's book."

There was a ruffling of pages.

"The instructions are said there. Now, would anyone tell me that 'Draught of the Living Death' is?"

Three hands shot up. It was Lily's, Elena's and Remus'.

"Yes, Miss Harrison?"

"'Draught of the Living Death' is an extremely powerful sleeping potion. It sends the drinker into a deep trance that mimics the state of death."

"Nicely phrased. Ten points to Gryffindor! Now, you have ninety minutes to make your potion. The best potion will get this—"

Slughorn held up a bottle of what looks like a brown mucky liquid. Everyone marveled at it, looking excited.

"Now, who can tell me what this potion is?"

Lily's hand was the first to be in the air.

"Ms. Evans?"

"It's polyjuice potion, sir. It enables a person to change his or her appearance temporarily into another's."

"Very good! Five points to Gryffindor. Now, I made a great deal to allow students to get this. I want you to use it wisely. Not for using pranks—"

James and Sirius snickered.

"—or any nonsense like that. Understand? You may begin."

Luckily, Hermione already knew how to make this potion. She also learned a lot from Harry before. She started of crushing the first ingredient, not cutting it. Liquid flowed out of it.

"How did you do that?" asked Lily, astonished.

"Crush not cut. Liquid flows out better that way," said Elena.

"No," Lily retorted. "The instructions specifically said to cut."

"No, seriously. There's no harm in doing a little shortcut," Elena replied. She glanced at Severus. He looked at her with suspicious eyes. His first ingredient was also crushed. She could already see scribbles in Snape's book.

After a while, Elena's potion was looking good. She glanced at Lily. She was hardly halfway through. James wasn't paying that much attention as Sirius and he were talking non-stop under their breath. Remus concentrated but didn't seem to make his potion work. Peter looked completely lost. His potion was overflowing. Severus' potion was as good as Elena's.

"Times up! Step away from your cauldrons," said Slughorn.

He checked all the potions. The room emitted a rather foul smell. Slughorn passed all the cauldrons without a second glance. He checked Severus' and had a pleased look on his face. Then, he reached Elena's. He looked pleased as well.

"It looks like we have a tie! Elena Harrison's and Severus Snape's potion are both well brewed. So, they both win. Twenty points to each of you! But, I was only permitted to give this bottle—"

"It's fine, professor. You can give it to Severus. I don't need it," said Elena.

James and Sirius looked disbelievingly at her.

"Very well. Here you go Severus," said Slughorn as he handed Snape the bottle. "CLASS DISMISSED!"

Elena exited with Katie by her side. Then the Marauders ganged up on them. "Why did you give that away to _Snivellus_, Elena? We could have used that potion for our pranks!" exclaimed James.

"Well, James, if I recalled, the potion will be given to the person with the best potion in the class," Elena said snootily. "And even if you begged or cried, you wouldn't even get your hands on that potion."

"But—" Then he staggered back; someone slapped him.

"Oh no, you don't, James Potter. I think it was a _wise_ choice for Elena to give that to Severus. I wouldn't want that potion in _your_ hands," said Lily.

"Here they go again," muttered Remus under his breath.

The rest of the day was okay. Nothing strange happened. Until—

"Good afternoon, class. My name is Professor Merrythought. Today we will be learning about—patronuses. But first, what is a patronus?"

The three raised their hands, as well as some Ravenclaws.

"Yes, Ms. Evans?"

"A patronus is the only shield that can protect a witch or wizard from a Dementor. It is conjured by thinking of a single happy memory and saying the enchantment, 'Expecto Patronum'. A beginner would conjure an indefinite patronus or a silvery vapor. A more experienced wizard may as well conjure a corporal patronus that can take a shape of an animal."

"Very good, ten points to Gryffindor. Now, we will be practicing it. Think of a single very happy memory. Then say, '_Expecto Patronum_'. Divide yourselves into four groups. Two groups each house. Girls and boys."

The students scattered and went to their rightful places.

"Okay, Ravenclaw girls first."

"_Expecto Patronum_," they chanted. Only a few were able to do it.

"Fine. We can do better. Next, Ravenclaw boys."

"_Expecto Patronum_," they chanted. The same amount of boys as were the girls was able to do it.

"Fine, it's fine. Anyway, it was the first try. You'll improve. Next, Gryffindor boys—Potter, Black! Stop lollygagging and cooperate!" shrieked Merrythought. "Five points from Gryffindor."

James and Sirius were taunting a Gryffindor boy. They stopped at once. Lily shot them an annoyed and loathing look.

"_Expecto Patronum_," they chanted. A rather good number of boys were able to emit the silvery vapor upon their wands.

"Very good! Last but not the least, Gryffindor girls."

"_Expecto Patronum_," they chanted. Some emitted the silvery vapor.

Elena and Katie thought of their happy memory. They were at the burrow with Harry, Ron and the rest of the Weasleys. The memory brought smiles to their faces as they cried, "_Expecto Patronum_."

A silver otter was conjured out of Elena's wand. A silver horse was emitted out of Katie's. Everyone was awestruck, including Professor Merrythought.

"How did you girls learn?"

"Our mum thought us," chorused the sisters.

"Well, excellent, REALLY EXCELLENT! Five points will be given to you. CLASS DISMISSED!"

The sisters exited the room.

"Five points," Katie muttered. "Not even five points _each._ We should've gotten more than just five points. We were the only ones to conjure a corporeal patronus, for Merlin's sake—"

"Don't you get enough, Gin?" Elena hissed.

"No. This is injustice, I tell you!"

Before Elena could retort, someone interrupted. "What's injustice?" The Marauders followed…again.

"We should've gotten more than five points," Katie told Peter.

"I agree," James said.

"Why didn't you tell us you can conjure a corporal patronus?" said Sirius suddenly.

"I don't remember our conversation turning to that topic. Hmm—it slipped my mind," Katie joked.

"Ha ha. Let's go back to the common room," said Sirius.

"Sorry guys," said Elena, "Remus has to take me to the library. Right?"

"Um—yeah," said Remus.

"See you guys later," said Elena as she grabbed Remus' arm. Sirius was wagging his eyebrows behind the others' backs.

"What the hell's wrong with that guy?" Elena asked Remus, a slight twinge of red in her skin from the blush. "He doesn't honestly think you're attracted to me and vice versa, does he?"

"No, of course not," Remus replied, flushing. "He's just teasing me, because he said 'We could've done at least one prank now if you hadn't said one prank per week.'"

"Oh, yeah," Elena sighed. "Those two only think of pranks. Figures."

"Oh—um. Yeah, come with me."

After some twists and turns, they arrived at the library.

"What book was that about again?" asked Remus.

"Time-travelling, time-turners, whatever with that concept."

Remus nodded as he searched the bookcases nearest to the door.

The two looked through the books, high and low. They skimmed through most of the bookcases they could. After two hours of searching, they couldn't find anything. And they only covered a corner of the Library. The two were tired from all the walking. So, they sat down, books were scattered around them.

"God, this is harder than I thought," said Remus breathlessly. "And that's coming from a bookworm like me."

"Yeah, and I thought Quidditch was hard."

Remus laughed and picked up a book. He leafed through the pages.

"So, do you miss your friends?"

"Of course. I missed my friends and family. Harry and Ron, I wonder what they're doing now."

"Harry and Ron?" asked Remus kindly.

"Yeah, they were my best friends for years. I met—never mind."

_Who were Harry and Ron?_ He wondered; he tensed.

Elena snorted. "I could imagine them snogging their girlfriends. Well, not really Harry, but Ron. He can do anything to prove to his sister that he's better than her. But, they deserve a shot of that. Katie and I are still finding boys that we can call 'boyfriends'.

Remus was relieved, but he did not show it. Then, Elena picked up a book that made Remus stiffen.

**Running with the Werewolves**

**By Romulus Beiste **

Elena casually looked at the book, trying not to shake. "Did you know Harry's godfather's friend was a werewolf?"

"Really?" asked Remus. "How did you and Harry react?"

"Oh, we were surprised. _Obviously_. But we didn't shun him," she reassured. "We were great friends. He was certainly smart, for one."

Remus didn't reply. He looked thoughtful. "Smart, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Where did he stay during the full moons? He couldn't afford to run around at night where he can kill people, if he's smart as you say."

"Don't doubt my words. I'm telling the truth. He—stayed under his house, in the dungoens. He—chained himself up on the wrists, ankles and waist."

"He lives alone?"

"Before," Elena explained. "But he was happily married already with a child."

Remus stiffened. "He pro-created? Was he mad?"

"Hey, calm down," Elena scolded. "Yes, he pro-created and no, he was not mad. Won't you feel happy that he was able to build his own family? Have a wife and a kid?"

"But what about the child?" Remus challenged. "What happened to him?"

"Are you talking about yo—his condition?"

"No, I'm talking about his skin color, yes, I'm talking about his condition."

"First of all, you don't have to shout at me," Elena growled. "Second of all, you don't have to insert sarcastic yet racist comments when you're going to ask a question. And third of all, he did _not_ become a werewolf, okay? He just becomes cranky during the full moons and he likes to eat a lot."

Remus sighed and mumbled an apology. "I guess I shouldn't judge that fast."

"You think?"

"So, what did _you_ think of him…personally?"

"I kind of pitied him. He told us his story. He was bitten at a very young age. He said those transformations were"—Elena shuddered—"painful."

"They are," muttered Remus.

"I'm sorry?"

"Nothing."

"I wish there was a cure. Or even something that could help him."

"There's neither cure nor an antidote. He can only endure it," said Remus harshly.

Elena cowered away from him. Remus noticed that.

"I'm sorry…again."

"It's fine," Elena sighed. "Let's head back to the common room—"

"Hold on, I have one last question."

"Go for it."

"Why are you always referring to your werewolf friend in the past tense?" Remus asked.

Elena fidgeted a little before whispering, "He was murdered."

"What? How?"

"De-death Eaters invaded his house and killed him."

Remus' expression turned sober. "So, his wife and kid are alone then?"

"Er—yeah."

"You hesitated," Remus accused.

"No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did."

"No, I didn't."

"Damn it, just answer the fucking question!"

"Wow, you cursed."

"Elena…"

"Alright, alright. Well, his…wife was in the house with him when Death Eaters attacked."

Remus paled. "How about the child?"

"He was in his grandmother's house at the time."

"And how old was he?"

"Just a few months old."

After a few moments of silence, the werewolves stood up and exited the library. The two entered the common room and went to their beds. There, Sirius and James were waiting for Remus. Peter's fat figure could be seen under the blanket, breathing slowly.

"So, how did you're 'studying' go?" said Sirius.

"Nothing happened, mate. You're being idiotic. I only met the poor girl."

"She's not poor. You're so mean, Moony!" exclaimed James.

"Pfft," scoffed Remus as he changed into his pajamas.

"Seriously, **(A/N: Sorry, had to be done)**" said Sirius, "what happened?"

"Elena's cousin was bugging her about—a topic. She doesn't know about it so she's searching for it. So that her cousin would leave her alone. That's all," said Remus.

"Specifics," ordered Sirius.

"Fine, we chatted a little," said Remus.

"What did ya talk about?"

"About her friends. Harry and Ron. And, Harry's godfather's friend was a werewolf," whispered Remus. The two straightened up.

"How did they treat him?" asked James.

"Normal. 'Just like a friend' she said."

"Well, it's perfect! You can ask her out now!" said James.

"What?—Why?"

"She can understand what you're going through. She might be the only girl who can, except Lily—"

"And Katie," said Sirius.

"Why Katie?"

Sirius shrugged. "I dunno."

Peter scoffed under his sheet which made James, Sirius and Remus jump. "You just say that because you think she's hot. I know that by next week, you'll be able to snog her already."

A few moments of silence then—

"Wormtail, you were listening to our conversation all along?" Sirius exclaimed in disbelief.

"Yes," he muffled. "It's really hard to sleep under all those screaming."

"Sorry, mate," Remus whispered.

"Hey, hey, hey," James said. "We're getting off topic."

"No, James."

"What do you mean: No?" Sirius asked.

"No, not at all, nope, on no account, certainly not, definitely not, nadda, not, never, I refuse! Get the picture, Paddy?" Remus replied. "I can't date her because of the same reasons I can't date other girls."

"She's an exemption!" Sirius exclaimed. "She said she doesn't care her friend was a werewolf—"

"Again—friend, not _boy_friend."

"There's a first time for everything."

"No, it's still too dangerous. We can stay friends—"

"Come on, mate. You're not going to hurt her. It's just—you need to loosen up a little. She can understand."

"Why are you pushing me to date her anyways, padfoot?" Remus' eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What could you possibly have to gain by me dating a girl, huh? What's your devious scheme—"

"He says if you have a girlfriend, he can get revenge on you by teasing you and her," Peter said.

"Wormtail!"

"I'm sorry," he replied, "but it's your fault I can't sleep anymore. If you could just let Remus be—"

"Uh, yeah. It's one of those times where you should just shut up, Wormy," James snapped.

"Come on, Moony!"

"No, anyway, I just met her. I barely know anything about her—"

"She loves books and apparently werewolves—come on, Moony!"

"You know what, fine! I'll give her a chance. Just, let me know her first."

James and Sirius looked triumphant. Remus grumbled before putting his head on his pillow, wondering what it would be like if Elena had a relationship with a monster…

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